Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-06-12
CHAPTER XXI.
JESS GETS A PASS.

ABOUT halt-plSt ten on tle moIhllS iOi
lowing her interview with Hans CoetZee
Jess was at ''The Palatiap' ~ usual, and
John was Just finishing packing the car
with such few goods rs they possessed
There was not much chance CT its being o
any material Use, for he did not III the
slightest degree expect that they would geI
the pass; but, rs he cheertully said, 1t wa'
AS GOOD an amusement rs any other.
Il say, jess, ~ he sung out presently,
come here
What for?" answered Jess, who wa'
seated on the doorstep mendlng something
and looking at her tavorite view.
Because | want to speak to you.
She got up and went, feeling rather angry
with herself for going.
We'll" she said, tartly, here | am
What is it,
Il have finished packing the cart, that's
all"
And YOU mean to tell me that you have
brought me round here to say that
Eyes, OF course | have; exercise is GOOD ioI
the young. And then he laughed anu She
laughed too,
1t was all nOthing-nothing at all-bu
somehow it was very delightful. Certainly
mutual affection, even when uneNpreSsed,
has a way of making things 20 happily,
and can find something to laugh at any
where.
Just then, who should come up but Mrs,
| Neville, in q great state OF excitement, anu,
As usual, tanning herself with her hat.
What do you think, Captain Mel? the
prisoners have come in, and | heard one OF
the Beers in charge say that he had n pass
/ signed by the BoeT general fOrsOme English
people. and that he was coming to see about
them presently. Who can it be-
at is uS," said Jess, quickly. We are
going home. Isaw Hans COetzee yesterday,
and begged him to try and get us a pass,
and | suppose he has.
MY word, going to get out? well, You
are lucky? Let me sit down and write II
letter to my great uncle at the Cape. You
must post it when You can. lie IL ninety
four. and rather soft, but dare say he wlil
like To hear from me, d and she bundled OIL
to give her aged relative who, by the way,
labOred under the impression that she was
still a little girl of four years OF age as
minute an account OF the siege of Pretoria
as time would allow.
well, John. you had better tell MoutI
To nut the horses in. We shall have to start
presently, said Jess.
"Ay," he said, pulling his beard Thought
fully, ~ suppose that we SHALL adding,
nv way OF IN atterthought, Are you glad
to go?'' ,
mo" she said, with n sudden flash ol
noSsion and a stamp of her foot, and then
- - .nt.,.l tho hnnaa lUsIIn
"Nouti," said John to the Zulu, who
WAS luungin sarOund in 4 way characteristic
of that intelligent but manifestations race,
''inspan the horses. We are going back to
MooitOntcim.
'koos" chief, said the Zulu uncon-
rerncdly. aud started ou the errand rs
though 1t were the most everyday occur
renee to drive OF home out of u closely
h~elcaguered town. This Is another beauty
of the Zulu race: you cannot aStOnlSh them.
They. no doubt, consider that that, to
them. extraordinary mixture OF wisdom and
insanity. the white mau, isas the Agnostic
French critic said in despair OF the prophet
Irruhhahel, "uIpubh' de- to"t.'
John stood and watched the i%nspanning
ab,cntly. The fact was that he, too, was
conscious Nl Il NNllNlNlOh " AN-A'NH Nv 49,
ashamed of himself Tor il, but there 1T was;
he was sorry to leave the place. For the
last week or 50 he had been living IN 4
dream. and everything outside that dream
was blurred and indiStinct rs Il landscape
in a log. lie knew the things were there,
hut he did not quite appreciate their rel
alive size aud position. The only real thing
was his dream; all else wasaS vague aSthoSe
flr-otf people aud events that We lose IN III
fancy and find again in old age.
And now there would bean end To dream
ing: the iog would lift, and he must face
the facts. Jess, with whom he had dreamed,
would 90 away to Europe and he would
marry BESSIE, and all this Pretoria business
would glide away into thepast Ikea watch
in the night. Well, il must he so; it was
right and proper that it should he 50; and
he for one was not going to finch from his
duty; hut he would nave been more than
human had he not felt the paug OF awaken
me II was all so very unfortunate.
by this time Mouti had got the horses
/ up, aud asked if he was to inSpan.
mo: wait Il hit" said John. Every
| likely 1t is all rot, " he added TO himself.
Scarcely were the words out OF his mouth
when he CAUGHT sight of two armed Beers
Of 4 peculiarly unpleasant type and rough
appearance riding across the veldt towards
The ralatial' gate, escorted by lour car
binecrs. At the gate they stopped, and
one Of them diSmOunted and came up to
where he was standing by the stable door.
Captain Nicl?' he said, iuterrogatively,
in English.
THAT is my name"
Then here is IL letter for you, " and he
handed him a folded paper.
John opened it it had no envelope and
read as follows
''SE:-The bearer of this has with him
4 pass which it is understood that you de-
sire, giving you and Miss Jess Croft Il safe
conduct to MOoitontein, in the Walkers
troOm district Of the republic. The only
condition which is attached to this pass,
which is signed by one of the honorable
triumvirate, is that you must carry no dis
patches out of Pretoria. Upon your giving
your word of honor 10 the bearer that you
will notdo this he will hand you the pass. 80
This letter. which was fairly written and
in good English, had no signature.
who wrote this asked John of the
Boer.
That is no affair of YOURS" was thecurt
reply. 'Wm you pass your word about
dispatches
Yes"
Good. Here is the pass and he hand
ed over that document to John. 1t was in
the same handwriting rs the letter, but
signed by the BOer general.
John examined it, and then called to
Jess to come and translate it. She was on
her way round the corner of the house rs
he did so, having heard the voice of the
BOec.
1t means, Pass the bearers unharm-
ed " she said, ''and the signature is cor
rect. | have seen the generals signature
before"
when must we START asked John.
AT once, OF not at all
Il must drive round by the h]eadquarter
camp to explain about my going. They
will think that | have run away
To this the Eoer demurred, but finally,
after going to the gate to consult his com
paniou, consented, and the two rode back
to the h~eadquarter camp, saying that they
I ,r.,l.l ,Vatt lnp fha ..tpf thor. ,rl.r.n,,r